More than 3,100 students are expected to graduate from the University of Florida during three summer commencement ceremonies scheduled for Friday, Aug. 7, and Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Exactech Arena in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center.
This summer’s graduating class represents 72 countries, 48 states and six continents. Among the graduates are 109 first-generation college students. The oldest graduate is 79 years old, while the youngest is 18. The Stephen C. O’Connell Center is located at 250 Gale Lemerand Dr. in Gainesville.
The first ceremony, recognizing 423 doctoral graduates, will begin at 2 p.m. on Friday.
Bachelor’s and master’s degree candidates from the College of the Arts, College of Design, Construction and Planning, College of Health and Human Performance, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, College of Journalism and Communications, College of Medicine, College of Nursing, College of Pharmacy, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of Veterinary Medicine will be recognized during the 10 a.m. ceremony on Saturday.
The final ceremony, beginning at 3 p.m. on Saturday, will honor bachelor’s, master’s and specialist degree graduates from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, College of Education, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Warrington College of Business.
Dr. Matthew David Disney, institute professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Research & Innovation, will deliver the commencement address at all three ceremonies.
An internationally recognized researcher, Disney is known for pioneering RNA-targeted small-molecule therapeutics that have expanded drug discovery for diseases once considered difficult or impossible to treat. His work has contributed to biotechnology companies and therapeutic development programs focused on genetic and other serious diseases.
Disney has received numerous national honors, including the National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award, the American Chemical Society Nobel Laureate Signature Award, the Eli Lilly Award in Biological Chemistry and the Sackler Prize.
Additional information about the summer commencement ceremonies, including schedules and livestream details, is available at commencement.ufl.edu/summer/.